Company overview:
Carroll's Irish Gifts is a 100% Irish owned retail chain of stores established in 1982, that stock leading Irish brands and a wide range of gifts.
We currently carry over 14,000 products across an extensive range of areas including, Irish themed gifts and clothing, Irish jewellery, Aran knitwear clothing and accessories, music and dance, confectionery, plush toys and kitchenware. We also stock a selection of big Irish brands including Guinness licensed product, Newbridge Silverware, and Solvar Jewellery amongst others.
Carroll's Irish Gifts currently have 20 stores nationwide in prime high-street locations, employing over 350 people along with several online sales platforms. We are a certified "Great Place to Work" with continuous cultural growth and improvement.
Role overview:
Reporting to the Head of Purchasing, the Buyer is responsible for developing commercially successful product ranges, managing supplier relationships, monitoring trading performance and delivering category KPI's.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial & Financial Ownership
Deliver category sales, margin and stock turn targets.
Manage category OTB (Open-to-Buy) budgets.
Monitor category profitability and trading performance.
Drive margin improvement opportunities.
Support pricing and promotional planning.
Review weekly and monthly trading performance.
Product & Range Development
Build commercially balanced seasonal product ranges.
Identify new product opportunities and emerging trends.
Manage category lifecycle planning.
Drive innovation across products and collections.
Ensure strong newness and product differentiation.
Review SKU productivity and rationalisation opportunities.
Supplier Management & Negotiation
Manage strategic supplier relationships.
Negotiate pricing, rebates, payment terms and exclusivity agreements.
Conduct supplier performance reviews.
Source new suppliers and products.
Resolve supplier and quality issues.
Ensure supplier compliance and delivery performance.
Trading & Performance Management
Analyse sales, stock and margin performance.
React quickly to trading opportunities and risks.
Recommend repeats, markdowns and exit strategies.
Monitor competitor activity and market trends.
Drive seasonal event performance.
Cross Functional Collaboration
Work closely with Merchandising on stock planning.
Collaborate with Marketing on product launches and campaigns.
Support eCommerce assortment and online trading.
Partner with Retail Operations to maximise category performance.
Skills, Experiences and Attributes
Minimum 5 year's buying experience within FMCG retail, including full
ownership of a product category, supplier negotiations, promotional
planning and commercial performance management.
Proven experience managing categories and suppliers.
Proven track record delivering sales and margin.
Fast-paced retail experience essential.
Proven negotiation and commercial skills.
Good PC skills including Excel, PowerPoint.
Practical experience with Microsoft Business Central, Power BI an advantage.
Strong numerical and analytical skills.
Experience managing seasonal and tourism driven retail cycles advantageous.
